McMillan has started young players before. Just not when he had other options. And so this is an important moment of growth for the development of Batum, McMillan, and the dreams of this franchise.

They go hand in hand, now, don't they?

The kid's already earned minutes. Now let's see what he does with more of them. Significant ones. With mom watching, even. Talk about pressure.

At practice Tuesday, McMillan talked to Batum about concentrating on defense and rebounding. And he told Batum to not worry so much about scoring, because the shots take care of themselves when you're playing alongside LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy.

Actually Outlaw should be thanking McMillan for the move. Travis should also be buying Nicolas dinner.

Let me explain.

If it wasn't for Nicolas stepping up on the defensive end for Portland, Outlaw wouldn't be returning to a role he's clearly more suited for and should easily own once again. It's like this: the second unit should belong to Travis, just as much as it does to Rudy Fernandez right now. And the energy the second unit should bring will only showcase Outlaw's abilities that much more. They got lost in the starting lineup. They'll standout more in the "white unit."

3. Defense: Is there any doubt Batum is blossoming into one of the Blazers best defensive assets (5 steals and 2 blocks in three games) thus far? His 1.67 steals per game is second on the team behind Brandon Roy, and he's tied with Roy for third in blocked shots (.67) behind LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden. For Nate McMillan, this kid is a godsend. He gets into passing lanes. He rarely loses his man on switches, despite often being outweighed by his opponent. And when he's on the court, he always makes something happen, regardless if it is a tipped ball or missed shot tap-out to a teammate. Nate said he wants more defense at the three - well now he has it.

Still, the equation would be far different today if the Spurs had gotten what they wanted last June. Then they tried everything they could -- from smokescreen e-mails to medical subterfuge -- to draft a 19-year-old Frenchman, Nicolas Batum.

He's smooth and athletic, and he showed that Friday night against the Spurs. Batum dunked on a fast break and threw in a 3-pointer on his way to a dozen points.

But it's his defense that impresses, and one word describes this 6-foot-8 swingman. Long. He combines quick feet with a wingspan that would cover what Kurt Thomas and Michael Finley can't reach.

In his first two seasons, Roy said he would easily deal with traps off the pick-and-roll by immediately sending the ball back to Aldridge, who usually set the screen for him.

"I didn't even have to look," Roy said. "I knew LaMarcus would be open. But teams have scouted it, and they are saying 'No, we are taking that away.' "

In tactical terms, teams are "shooting" at Aldridge, meaning a defender "shoots" up quickly from the lane to take away the pass to Aldridge. The conventional pick-and-roll defense is a 2-on-1 philosophy - pitting two defenders who guard, or "trap", the ball handler. The tactic being thrown at the Blazers is a 3-on-2 strategy, which pits two players to trap Roy and one to shoot at Aldridge.

ESPN.com NBA editor Maurice Brooks takes an early look at some season awards races, and one Blazers rookie earns some love:

4. Rudy Fernandez, Blazers: Well, at least one Portland player remains in the rankings (feel better, Greg Oden). Wouldn't it be great to play pickup basketball with Rudy and see what passes and shots he would try when the games didn't count?

The explosive Spaniard, who was the No. 24 pick in the 2007 draft, is averaging 14.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in three somewhat uneven performances. Fernandez, 23, followed up a Halloween-night dud -- six points on 1-for-6 shooting in 30 minutes against San Antonio -- with a 20-point effort off the bench against Phoenix. He's lived up to billing as a long-range bomber capable of providing a spark off the bench, connecting on 40 percent of his three-point attempts. Look for Fernandez to rise in these rankings as his production increases with his minutes.

Thomsen: Expect very little. The Trail Blazers should demand as much. He has been out a long time and he's very young. The Blazers are a young franchise from their front office all the way down to the backcourt. All of them have a lot to learn and prove before they'll contend for a championship, so it's not like Oden's development is holding them back from realizing their potential. Give him time.

Burns: At this point, Blazers fans would probably settle for Oden just making it through a single game. But assuming the oft-injured 7-footer avoids the Martin/Walton/Bowie curse and makes it back on the court this season, 10 points and 10 rebounds per game would not be unreasonable. Oden's biggest contributions were never going to be about big numbers anyway. His role for this current Portland team was to be a dominating interior presence, a huge body to defend the post, block shots and control the backboards. If he can provide that dimension right away, Blazers fans should be more than happy.

The biggest concern for Oden and the Blazers, then, is not the injury itself, but the contributing factors. Whether those are weight, shoes, or just being patient enough to let the injury heal remain to be seen and will involve all levels of the organization. While there's an easy comparison here with Bill Walton, another #1 pick of the Blazers who, while hardly a bust, is as remembered for the time he missed as his titles, Oden is far from that level, both as an NBA success or as an NBA bust. Walton, while best remembered for the foot injury that led to his leaving the Blazers, actually had a series of injuries, including leg injuries that might conjure up more comparisons to Oden. If anything, they should be a cautionary tale to be patient, to avoid painkillers and to allow Oden to heal. Aside from that, the comparison is just superficial. Walton's problems were fractures nearer the ankle, rather than the mid-foot as with Oden's recent injury. It's also important to note that Walton played at a listed 6'11", 210. I don't think he could venture inside on today's NBA post men.

Many are also conjuring up images of Sam Bowie, but let's be clear: Oden doesn't have a chronic foot problem, the type that ended or altered the course of the careers of Walton and Bowie. This is closer to a simple ankle sprain, the single most common injury in the NBA, and one that happens most often when a player lands on another player's foot, though many would guess it comes more from this type of thing. No one seems to panicked about the fortunes of Michael Redd, Peja Stojakovic or Carmelo Anthony, All-Star-level players currently out with ankle sprains of varying severity.